Ever feel like your loved ones have no clue what you are dealing with in menopause?
Guess what? You are right. That is because they are not experiencing it, you are. They may actually feel hopeless because they don’t know what they can do for you. You are frustrated because you don’t feel they understand.
So instead of getting frustrated, start communicating. Let them know how you are feeling and what you are going through. Let them know how they can help. You don’t have to feel like you are in this alone.
Maybe you are not sure how to verbalize what you are going through. Do you feel like you have a spouse that doesn’t understand?
10 Tips To Show They Care
Here are 10 tips you can share with your spouse or loved ones that may help make you and them feel better.
1. Tell Her She Is Beautiful
Women in menopause often suffer from self-image problems as they begin to see skin sag or getting wrinkled. They can also gain some weight during this time. Remind her that she still looks good so that she won’t feel that she is getting older and is no longer desirable to you.
2. Recognize Her Mood Swings
You need to know that women in menopause often have widely fluctuating moods that will make you wonder if she is mentally stable.
If you want to help her, don’t make a big deal out of the mood swings and just be supportive to her in whatever mood she has. Mood swings can put a damper on a relationship but, if you remain calm and solid as a rock during her crises, you can help her try to remain as mentally stable as possible.
Some women go through depression in menopause and you need to be sensitive to these symptoms.
3. Decrease Stress In Your Lives
Stress can make menopausal symptoms worse, particularly those related to mood and depression. Together, you can find ways to reduce the stress in your lives so that you can enjoy these years without intolerable menopausal symptoms.
Take a yoga class with her or practise meditation with her. This is a sure way for her to see how much you care that you are willing to try something new as a sign of your love and support.
4. Exercise Together
Exercise is vital for the woman undergoing menopause. Much of the exercise should be a combination of aerobic, strength training and stretching. You can help her by partaking in these activities together.
You both can commit to living a healthier lifestyle that supports better hormone balance and decreases your risks of heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure, which are things you should be looking out for together as you age.
5. Learn About Osteoporosis
Recognize that her bones are at greater risk for osteoporosis. Women after menopause are particularly prone to osteoporotic falls and fractures.
You can help reduce the risk through remaining active with weight bearing exercise, but also by reducing fall risks around the home. Begin by de-cluttering the house and keeping traffic paths in the home clear.
6. Understand That She Will Experience Hot Flashes
Let her have a say in the room temperature at home. Women during this period of their lives often have difficulty with warm or stuffy rooms. Rather than have her dealing with hot flashes in a warm location, let her set the temperature of the thermostat to where it is more comfortable for her.
Hint: This will also make her less irritable.
7. Buy Her A Personal Fan
They make personal fans that a woman with hot flashes can carry around to cool their face and neck while they are feeling the heat.
If you could get her a portable fan, she can keep this in her purse for emergencies when she needs to cool down. Trust me, it is the best gift ever for a woman suffering from hot flashes.
8. Let Her Choose The Bed Clothing
If you want to help your spouse be happy at night, let her select the bedding you put on the bed. While you may be more comfortable with a down comforter, she may see that as exacerbating her hot flashes and night sweats.
You can have an extra blanket on your side of the bed if you get cold but just know that she will likely not be hot and will want to sleep with just a sheet or a light blanket.
9. Support Good Nutritional Habits
Women in menopause often need to improve their nutrition as some foods can help, while others can harm, the woman undergoing menopause.
Help her by eating healthy right along with her so she isn’t tempted to eat the wrong things. Start by eliminating processed foods, alcohol, and sugar.
These all will be detrimental to hormone balance and contribute to hot flashes. Instead switch to a diet rich in whole, organic foods including: fish, non starchy vegetables, berries, nuts and seeds, and healthy fats such as avocados, organic, extra virgin cold pressed coconut and olive oils.
10. Remember: Intercourse Might Be A Problem
Last but not least, you may need to be more patient with your spouse as she goes through menopause. She might be experiencing a decrease in libido.
She may not want to have sex as much and she may have vaginal dryness that can make intercourse painful. Buy a water-based lubricant for sex so that she can enjoy it, too. This is a time to get creative and be patient.
Menopause can be challenging time for many women, but having a partner to support her through this transition will mean the world to her. It will help you both survive menopause together.
